Wire-covering machine



jan, 6, 1925.

A. MARING WIRE covERING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 6, 1925- 1,522,254

A. MARING WIREy covERI-NG MACHINE Filed May 25, 1925 2 sums-sheet 2 Patented J an. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT MAKING, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO MARING WIRE COMPANY, O'F MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

wIRE-covERING MACHINE.

. Application led. May 25, 1923. Serial No. 641,381.

To all whom t magfwonoem:

Be -it known that I, ALBERT vMAKING., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Muskegon, in the county of Muskegon and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire- Covering Machines.

This invention relates to improvements in wire covering machines, and more particularly to machines used in the manufacture of cotton or silk insulated wire, wherein the insulating material is wound onto the wire as it is advanced through the machine. While machines of this character are more or less of a standard construction, there are elements of such machines that admit of improvement in construction and design, and it is to one of these elements that the present invention pertains. For lack of a better term, the element contemplated by this n vention may be termed the nose-piece, and designates that element of the machine which guides the yarn onto the wire and controls the winding operation.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for nose-pieces with a View of overcoming certain disadvantages in the design heretofore adopted by the machine manufacturers. The principal disadvantages to be overcome arise through the rapid wear and depreciation of the parts of the nose-pieces, thereby requiring frequent replacement and renewal. Furthermore, to accommodate the various sizes of wire, the present practice requires a series of different sized nose-pieces for each machine, thereby increasing the initial cost as well as the cost of maintenance. The construction contemplated by this invention is therefore primarily intended to permit the ready removal of the parts subjected to wear so that they can be relinished for further use, and furthermore by the interchangeability of a single part, the same nose-piece can be employed for a given range of wire sizes.

In the drawings is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, together with such parts of the ordinary form of wire covering machine which would enable the operation to be clearly understood.

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section showing those parts of a machine which cooperate with the nose-piece in the covering of a single wire.

2 is an enlarged detailed view in vertlcal section of the nose-piece 'removed from its supporting spindle.

Fig. 3 is a detailed view in cross-section of the nose-piece taken on the line 3--8 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a similar detailed view in cross-section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.v

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the smoothing blocks forming a part of the nose-piece. I

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the clips which serve to retain the smoothing blocks in position; and y Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the removable wire-guiding spindle of the nose-piece.

Referring to Fig. 1, a single spindle of a machine is shown in detail, together with more diagrammatic representations as to the means employed for delivering the wire to and from the spindle. Bearing in mind that a single machine may consist of a plurality or battery of spindles, each spindle is constructed as follows: A supporting yoke (1) is mounted upon an angle member 2 forming part of the machine frame, and is arranged 1n a vertical position. The yoke' supports, by means of bearings 3 3, a vertical hollow spindle 4. The bearings 3-3 are journalled in suitable bearing retainers 5-5, formed in the ends of the horizontal arms of the supporting yoke 1, -the lower bearin being in the nature of a step bearing an supports the lower end of the spindle 4. Keyed to the spindle 4, just above its lower end, is a mitre gear 6, which meshes with a complementary mitre gear 7, whereby rotative movement in either direction is transmitted through a shaft 8 to the spindle 4. The spindle extends some distance vertically above the supporting yoke 1, and immediately above the upper bearing 5, is mounted, what is termed a fiyer 10, which rotates with the spindle, and serves as a guide for the arn as it is fed from the spool 11 mounted immediately above. This spoolconsists of the usual core 11a, which fits onto a spoolcarrier 12, likewise mounted on the spindle and resting on a bre washer 13,'separating the carrier and-the iyer l10. Immediately above the carrier is a fibre collar 14 yieldin-gly held against the upper end of the carrier by means of a coiled spring 15. At the upper end of the s indle is a pair of removable collars 16 an 17, provided with Cil sct screws 16a and 17 a, respectively, the lower one forming a shoulder for the spring 15, in addition to performing their principal function of anchoring the nose-piece 18 in a socket formed in thc extreme upper end of the spindle 4.

The machine is provided with a suitable drum or spool 19, from which the Wire to be covered is supplied, the same being led around a shea-ve 2O located below the spindle 4, and thence upwardly through the central bore of said spindle, through the nosepiece, thence around a sheave 21, and finally to another drum 22, onto which the covered wire is wound.

Consider now a single strand of the wire A as being continuously advanced upward through the spindle, and at the same time a strand of the yarn B as being taken from the spool 11 and guided through suitableeyelet guides 23 secured to the upstanding arm 1()a of the flyer, and thence to the nose-piece where it is wound or wrapped about the advancing wire as the spindle, flyer and nose-piece are rotated -at a. high rate of speed.

Referring in more detail to the construction ofv the nose-piece, the same consists of a body in the form of -an annular` disk or base plate 24, from which depends a tubular sleeve or shank 25, adapted to fit within a socket formed in the upv er end of the ,spindle 4, and securely hel in place by means of the collars 16'and 17. A fibre 7 washer or'colla'r 26 is preferably interposed between the under side of the base plate 24 of the nose piece and the upper end of the spindle 4.

Fitting snugly within the tubular sleeve 25,

and held by a set-screw 25a, is a removable wire guiding spindle or die 27, having the form of a cylinder with a central bore 27EL of substantially the diameter of. the bare wire to be covered. The die projects above'- the base-plate 24, with parts of the exposed or projecting portion cut` away in such a manner as to form a gradually deepening axial groove 27b and a transverse groove 27, thus leaving a`porti`on of the central bore exposed, as clearly shown -in F ig. 7. Extending vertically from the base-plate 24 are two arms 28, 28 located in diametrically opposed relation on either side of the projecting end of the die 27, and forming a bifurcated support for other elements presently to be described. The outerfaces of these arms are slotted longitudinally to form deep channels 29, 29, extending through the base plate 24 and terminating at the level of the upper end of the die 27. The upper ends of the arms above the die`27 are like-` wise slotted, but horizontally, thereby forming; wider channels 30, v30, connecting with the vertical channels-29, 29. Mounted within the horizontal 'channels 30, 30, are metal blocks 31, 31, adapted to slide transversely therein, their inner faces being brought together and into contact with the wire immediately above the end of the die 27, as clearly shown in VF ig. 2. Extending over the ends of the slotted arms 28, 28 arc clips 32,32, which forma closure for the upper ends of the slots or guide-ways for the blocks 31, 31 and serve to retain the same against a vertical displacement. These clips are secured in place by means of small screws 32a, passing through the ends of the clips and anchored in the sides of the arms 28, 28. Located within the vertical slots 29 are flat springs 33, which are anchoredat their lower ends by means of screws 33a, and bear at their free ends against theouterfaces of the blocks 31, 31. Intermediate ytheir ends, and nearer their lower ends are set screws 34, which bear against the springs, and are adapted to be adjusted to vary the tension exerted by the springs against the blocks 31 to force them into contact with the wire.

Bearing in mind that the wire strand A is advanced upwardly through the spindle 4 and nose-piece 18. and at the same time and that these parts together with the flyer 10, are rotating rapidly, it will be seen that by guiding the strand of yarn B through the eyelets 23 of flyer 1() and thence to the nosepice it is guided to the wire, and thus vwound or wrapped about it, as the non-rotating wire advances through the nose piece. lAs clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4', the strand of yarn is led around a vertical guide-pin 35 anchored in the base-plate 24, and thence radially inward toward the wire-guiding spindle, passing through the transverse groove 27 b and around the wire A, the yarn being tightly and evenly wrapped about the wire as it advances from the Vdie 27 and between the blocks 31, 31. The function of t-he blocks 31, 31 is to apply pressure to the covered wire as it leaves the wireguiding spindle and thereby to smooth4 the .yarn so that the surface is even and presents a uniform finished surface.

Due to the pressure exerted 'by the blocks, as well as Nthe friction, the metal although hardened, becomes rapidly grooved and thence necessitating' the removal of the blocks and the' grinding of the contact faces, to remove the groove. In the ordinary nose-piece, the block or blocks for this purpose are `of irregular contour and of a spherical design, thereby necessitating the replacement of the block by the manufacturer with the attendant loss of time. Moreover, the blocks herein disclosed are of a regular shape, and hence lmay be readily provided from ordinary stock, in the event that they become so worn as to require replacenient..l In short, the use of a simple rectangular form of block which may be rea ilyremoved, makes it unnecessary for the machine user to depend on the manufacturer to replace parts of a special design where such parts are subjected to rapid Wear.

And further, an important feature of the present construction is the provision of a removable, and therefore interchangeable lcylindric Wire-guidin ted into said bore an tion projecting above said body, and blocks set of wire-guiding dies 27, all having a standard outside diameter but varying in size and formation of the central bore 27a. In this manner, the user of a machine need not maintain on hand a separate nose-piece for each size of Wire to be covered but employs a single nose-piece for all sizes of Wire to be covered substituting only the required size of Wire-guiding spindle or die,-Which may be secured at a comparatively low cost.

This advantage is an important' one, not only as providing for the interchange of dies for various Wire sizes, lbut the interchange "of dies for either direction of rota-v tion of the spindle, since successive layers are applied to the Wire, by reversing the direction of rotation of the spindle and associatedl parts.

From the foregoing it will 7be seen that the departures in construction are exceedmgly advantageous from the standpoint of the decreased cost in machinery equipment,

as Well as of replacements and renewals.

- Having set .forth the features of the invention, 'I claimz- 1. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a rotative spindle, of a nose-piece comprising a tubular shank fitting in the end of said spindle, a cylindric dieA removably fitting in said shank and having a central bore through which a strand of Wire is advanced, and smoothing blocks mounted for yielding engagement with said Wire.

2. In a machine of vthe `character described', the combination with a rotative spindle and spool carrier thereon, of a nosepiece comprising a body having a shank fitting into the end of said spindle, and a central bore extending axially thereof, a

die removabl fithaving an en porslidably mounted in said body above the end of said die. and means for yieldingly forcing said blocks toward each other.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a rotative spindle, a nose-piece mounted at the end of said spindle and comp-rising a body having an axial bore therethrough, acylindric die removably secured in said bore, and blocks slidably mounted in said body and adapted to yieldingly engage the Wire immediately beyond the end o f said die.

4f. In a machine of the character dcscribed, the combination with a rotative spindle, of a nose-piece mounted at 'the end of said spindle and having an axial bore therethrough, a cylindric die removably mounted in said bore and having a central bore through which a Wire is advanced, means for guiding a strand of yarn'n to the Wire in passing through said die, and blocks mounted adjacent the end of said die and supported to yieldingly engage opposite sides of said Wire.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination with 'a rotative spindle and spool car-rier'thereon, of a nosepiece Vcomprlsing a. body having a central bore extending axially thereof, a cylindric Wire guiding die removably fitted into said bore,` and a pair. of blocks slidably adapted for bearing contact with the Wire leaving said die, and springs engaging said blocks. y

7. In a machine of the character de'- scribed, the combination ofi a spindle, @a nose-piece mounted o-n said spindle and comprising a body having a tubular shank, fitting in the end of said spindle, a cylin- ,dric die removably mounted in said shank and having an end portion projecting above said body, arms arranged on opposite sides of said body and provided With transversechannels at the ends thereof, blocks slidably mounted in said channels and adapted for contact With the Wire leaving said die, and

flat springs anchored at the Ibase of said arms and engaging said blocks at theirv free ends.;

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name :this-2]. day of May, A.v D., 1923.

ALBERT MARINGr.y f 

